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NDIS Fraud Squad Makes First Arrest


19 October 2018 at 5:10 pm
Luke Michael
A man accused of stealing more than $400,000 from the National Disability Insurance Scheme has been charged by the government’s NDIS fraud squad.


Luke Michael | 19 October 2018 at 5:10 pm


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NDIS Fraud Squad Makes First Arrest
19 October 2018 at 5:10 pm

A man accused of stealing more than $400,000 from the National Disability Insurance Scheme has been charged by the government’s NDIS fraud squad.  

Police allege the 34-year-old Victorian man defrauded the NDIS between July and August this year, and used the money to buy a BMW 7-Series limousine, a Toyota Hilux, designer clothing and jewellery.

This week, a team from the recently established NDIS fraud taskforce ­executed a search warrant in the Melbourne suburb of Parkville to seize these items and arrest the man.

It is believed the 34-year-old’s actions directly impacted over 200 NDIS participants’ ability to access ongoing support.

Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton said the taskforce – comprised of members from the Australian Federal Police, the National Disability Insurance Agency and the Department of Human Services – sent a strong warning to those wanting to defraud the NDIS.

Human Services Minister Michael Keenan said stealing from the NDIS was not a victimless crime.

“Fraud robs the Australian community of much needed funds that should be spent on essential services we all rely on,” Keenan said.

“The staff from my department involved in the taskforce are experts in fraud detection and prevention and I commend them for the work they’ve done to bring about this arrest.”

The NDIA has worked alongside the investigation to contact participants impacted by the alleged fraud.

The Australian reported amounts as large as $12,000 were siphoned from NDIS participants by a company with which they had never signed an agreement.

Social Services Minister Paul Fletcher said the government was committed to making sure all NDIS funding went towards supporting people with disability.

“The NDIA is ensuring that participants affected by this alleged fraud will have their funds reinstated in their plans,” Fletcher said.


Luke Michael  |  Journalist  |  @luke_michael96

Luke Michael is a journalist at Pro Bono News covering the social sector.


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2 comments

  • David Brown says:

    is this yet another case of rorting facilitated by privatisation of service provision on behalf of a government agency charged with delivery of public funded services to the Australian community

    join the long list of rorts discovered in education (TAFE, and private schools), energy (massive companies at all levels squirreling monopoly profits in overseas tax havens), transport (construction and tolls from highways paid for by public funds), Centrelink “Job Search”, Medicare and My Health, Pharmaceutics (PBS now run by the companies to their financial benefit)…… everytime an LNP government gets into power….. etc, etc

    privatisation opens the door to uncontrollable rorts

  • David Brown says:

    Dutton, his Home Affairs aggrandisement, is tailor made for “””cracking down””” on these rorts….
    all members of the new squad are happy with more jobs


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